Elderly people should take up the gentle martial art of T’ai Chi for the sake
of their physical and mental health, according to academics.

A new study has found that the ancient Chinese exercises, enjoyed by millions of people every morning, can help pensioners avoid falling injuries and boost their psychological well-being.

This is because its slow movements improve balance while its deep breathing techniques aid relaxation.

The authors of the paper, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on Tuesday, conclude: “Our overview showed that T’ai Chi, which combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements, may exert exercise-based general benefits for fall prevention and improvement of balance in older people as well as some meditative effects for improving psychological health.

“We recommend T’ai Chi for older people for its various physical and psychological benefits."

T’ai Chi was developed hundreds of years ago in China as a series of graceful physical movements combined with deep breathing, and is now thought to be practised by 2.5million people around the world.

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It is based on the Confucian and Buddhist philosophy that the exercises can balance the opposing life forces of “yin and yang” that govern our health.

But Dr Myeong Soo Lee at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine and Prof Edzard Ernst of the Peninsula Medical School at the University of Exeter, say that “regardless of these assumptions”, the slow movements and short postures undoubtedly affect the muscles and circulatory system.

Because the “slow motion” martial art is now backed by several charities and support groups for sufferers of different diseases, the researchers looked back at the “uncertain” evidence for its clinical effectiveness.

They found 35 existing systematic reviews of T’ai Chi papers published between 2002 and 2010, which examined whether or not the exercises helped conditions ranging from breast cancer to heart disease, as well as the ailments of old age.

Overall, 20 of the reviews concluded that T’ai Chi “might be effective” while eight said it was not and seven were inconclusive, but some of the previous studies were said to be flawed.

There was a “relatively clear consensus” that T’ai Chi “was effective for improving the general health of older people, improving psychological health, and for preventing falls”.

Of the four studies that looked at fall prevention, a key concern for the elderly, three showed that T’ai Chi had positive effects.

Four reviews found that the martial art was good at “improving psychological health” while one was inconclusive.

In addition, “all three SRs that evaluated healthcare in older people drew equivocal positive conclusions”.

However, the review of previous papers found little evidence that T’ai Chi can relieve symptoms of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers also found that T’ai Chi may not effectively treat inflammatory diseases.

And there were “contradictions” in the evidence regarding improvements in lung capacity and lowering risk of heart disease.

However a separate paper to be discussed at the Royal College of Nursing’s research conference on Wednesday has found that T’ai Chi sessions may “help those with rheumatoid arthritis to gain increased self-efficacy and confidence through greater control over their mobility and condition within a supportive environment”.

The report, carried out by researchers at the University of Leeds based on interviews with 19 people, concludes: “T’ai Chi may offer psychological as well as physical benefits.”